Friend: You mean you've earned enough cash in your carpenter workshop to order the caterers and musicians already?

Joseph: Well... Lets just say, we're getting there!

Friend: Great! But by the way... I've been hearing some nasty rumors about your fiance

Joseph: Oh no! What?

Friend: Well you know how the women tend to gossip...

Joseph: Yes, come on, tell me! What are they saying about Mary!

Friend: I'm sorry Joseph, but they say, "Clearly, she is clearly pregnant!"

Joseph: What? Pregnant? Impossible! Hey, don't look at me like that! It wasn't me! You know I wouldn't do such a thing, and to Mary? No, I love her too much than to cause her this disgrace!

But Who...? How? Was she raped? And, what more do those old gossips say?

Joseph's friend doesn't know the answers and so shrugs his shoulders, and goes off.

Scene 2

Joseph: Poor girl, she won't be able to finish her studies now, and my family won't like her being pregnant like this one little bit! After all, according to the prophets, people expect the Messiah to be born in my family somewhere!
My great-great-great-great grandfather, Old King David, would turn over in his grave if I were responsible for my fiancee's pregnancy! After all, we're not married yet! (walks around agitatedly)
Huh, but I thought I could trust Mary, and now she has gone and cheated on me!
OK, There's nothing for it, I'll have to break-up with her tomorrow, and call the wedding off!

(Lights dim Mary and Joseph lie down to sleep in opposite sides of the stage in their separate homes.)

Scene 3

Ghost voice: (Spoken clearly through the loudspeaker with much expression and emotion, perhaps a deep husky voice)

Little did Joseph know, that throughout history, all kinds of people, everywhere, would look back on the events of his day: slaves, the educated, the rich, the poor, rulers, the wise and the foolish. And all these kinds of people would in fact see there, with the eye of faith, great cause for great hope!

Scene 4

The song by "Mary, Mary"- "Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance" begins to play.

(You could try to have the Windows Media Player's lights and patterns, shining through the events which the dancers actively observe, perhaps to show they are looking back through time at the events of Christmas, and to give a sentimental and festive colors effect)

A slave dances onto the stage dressed in rags and weighed down by chains with a notice 'slave' hanging round his neck.

A second dancer with a notice 'Chronic alcoholic' and a vodka bottle in one hand dances and staggers onto the scene.

They move with feeling around and between Mary and Joseph and all the other participants in the play, who are not aware of them and do not see or feel their presence.

The dancers are observing the events of Christmas more or less in the background, and before the song ends, various things have happened.

First two angels appear simultaneously and separately, under a spotlight each, to Mary and Joseph, waking them up and speaking to them and explaining something to them.

Then Mary and Joseph nod with understanding, lights come on and Mary and Joseph meet. She climbs on a donkey and they head towards Bethlehem.

Soon they find a place in a barn and put their baby in the manger. Simultaneously, Shepherds appear nearby with their sheep

There are two shepherds, each with a notice around his neck. One says 'good worker' and the other with the notice 'bad worker'. The good worker is kind to the sheep and his only fault is blowing his nose without a handkerchief.

The bad worker kicks the sheep and fights with the good worker.

The song ends and dancers freeze in position waiting for the end of the next scene, all the time watching the events of Christmas, e.g. Through binoculars/telescope.

Scene 5

Angels (the choir) appear near the shepherds and sing, "While shepherds watched their flocks by night" ....Angels off

Scene 6

The shepherds go to visit and worship baby Jesus. They stand and then kneel and give presents and worship, then they walk away.

The bad worker flips his notice which now reads 'not so bad worker' and he is kind to the sheep and nice to his colleague.

The 'good' worker's notice now reads 'better worker' OR 'wise man going for GOLD' and he is still kind to his sheep and his colleague, and now he uses a handkerchief to blow his nose.

Shepherds and sheep off.

Scene 7

The song by 'Third Day' - "Who is this King of Glory" plays.

The dancers come to life as the media player lights flash through the scene and first the slave goes closer and kneels before Jesus, worships and drops, at least most of his chains, and goes away dancing happily.

Next the 'chronic alcoholic' arrives at Jesus, falls and kneels face down in front of baby Jesus. Puts the bottle down before Him and then backs away, bowing repeatedly and then dancing off joyful and sober.

Song fades after second verse, Ghost voice speaks

Ghost voice:
And so each year we celebrate the birth of the Light and Hope that came that first Christmas. And, each time we remember Christmas, we too may reach up, and shake the shackles off our feet, and dance!

As stage props and floor are cleared away, play: "take my shackles off my feet so I can dance".